Walter j



(No Model.)

W. J. DREW.. CARPET SWEEPER. No. 443,163. Patented Deo. 23, 1890.

UNITED' STATES PATENT Orincie-lfA IALTER J. DREV, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO 'Il-IE IEISSELL CARPET SW'EEPER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CARPET-SWEEPER.

SIECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,163, dated December 23, 1890..

Application tiled June 7, 1890. Serial No. 354,596. (No model.)

i To if/ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, IVALTER J. DREW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in t-he county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Iinproveniente in Carpet-Sweepers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that type of carpet-sweeper wherein two supporting-wheels are arranged at each end of the sweepercase to (3o-operate with a brush-shaft extending continuously from end to end of the case.

The objects of the present invention are to provide novel means whereby a sweeper having a continuous brush-shaft can be turned at varying angles on the floor without the pulleys slipping on the supporting drivewheel at either end of the case, thereby re lieving the rubber tires from undue wear when turning the sweeper, and nally to provide a novel brush-shaft driven at one end of the sweeper, but capable of being reversed and driven at the opposite end of the sweeper as one pair of the rubber tires becomes unduly worn.

To accomplish all these objects my invention involves the features of construction, the combination or arrangement of parts, and the principles of operation hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying` drawings,in whichn Figure I is a top plan view of a four-wheel sweeper embodying my invention. Fig. E. is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the axis of the brush-shaft. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same; and Fig. 4C is a detail perspective view of the brush-shaft, to show its fast and loose pulleys.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein-- The numeral I indicates acarpctsweeper oase, 2 its end walls, 3 the dust-pans, and 4 the bail, all of which may be of any construction suitable for the conditions required, the case being supported, as usual, by a pair of su pporting-wheels 5,ateach end provided with friction. The brush-shaft may be supported in any suitable manner; but if a self-adjusting brush is desired I prefer to employ an elastic band 7 at each end of the casing, having bent ends 8, and provided centrally between such ends with a vertical slot 9, in which slots work the ,journals l2 of the brushshat't l0.

In a four-wheeled sweeper having a brushshaft provided with a pulley at each end, which is so attached as to revolve in unison with the shaft, if the sweeper be turned at different angles while traversing the iioor one of the pulleys slips on the rubber tires of the supporting-wheels at that end of the sweeper, and consequently the tires become unduly worn and inefficient. To avoid this objection I provide the brush-shaft with a rigidly-attached or fast pulley 13 at one end and with an idle or loose pulley Il at the opposite end. The idle or loose pulley is preferably mounted on a cylindrical hub end l5 of the brushshaft, and the construction is such that while the pulley 13 serves to drive the brush-shaft and revolves therewith, the pulley I4 at the opposite end could stand stationary while the brush-shaft revolves therein. In consequence of this combination, when the sweeper is turned at angles while traversing the floor the idle or loose pulley will not slip on the rubber tires of the supporting-wheels at that end, thereby saving the tires from undue wear, for the idle or loose pulley can be freely revolved by a pair of the supporting-wheels without revolving the brush, or the brush can be revolved by the other pair of wheels without revolving the idle or loose pulley.

The construction is such that when the tires on those wheels which drive the fast pulley become worn or injured the brush can be quickly removed and reversed end for end and replaced, when the fast pulley will be driven by the perfect tires on the opposite set of supporting-wheels.

The idle or loose pulley co-operates with a pair of the wheels at one end of the sweeper, 9

IOO

ing an idle or loose pulley at one end and a In testimony whereof I have affixed mysigfast pulle5T at the opposite end, substantially nature in presenee of two Witnesses. as described.

2. The oombinationm'ith the oase of a four- \VALTER J. DREW. o Wheeled carpet-sweeper, of a reversible brushshaft having :m idle or loose pulley at one end Witnesses: and a fast pulley at the opposite end, subst'zmv HUGH E. WILSON,

tially as described. \VILLIS J. PERKINS. 

